Republicans drew a deep line in the sand Tuesday over border security, saying no new spending bill can pass until Democrats agree to major changes that would stop the unprecedented surge of illegal immigrants.
Sen. Lindsey Graham said roughly 10,000 illegal immigrants are showing up at the border each day, a pace that would break the records President Biden has already set in the last two years.
He blasted Democrats for refusing to roll back Mr. Biden’s expansive “parole” powers that facilitate much of the illegal immigration.
“The world is on fire on multiple fonts, and getting worse every day. There will be no assistance to other nations who are deserving until we assist our own nation,” the South Carolina Republican said.
He said Democrats are playing a political game by offering policies that would do “the least amount possible” on the border, hoping to win over a few wavering Republicans who might be willing to accept those lesser solutions to vote for more aid for Israel and Ukraine.
“You’re playing a game of doing the least amount possible, to pick 10 or 12 of us off. It ain’t happening,” Mr. Graham said. “We’re united over here.”
Mr. Biden has requested more than $100 billion in an emergency spending bill with most of the money going to fund Ukraine’s war with Russia, and some of it to support Israel as it battles Hamas.
The president also asked for $14 billion for the border, but Republicans said most of that money is aimed at better processing of illegal immigrants and won’t deter them from coming.
A group of Democrats and Republicans in the Senate has been working on a border deal that clears the pathway for the spending bill.
Those talks have stalled this week.
“We’re stuck. and there will be no deal until the policy changes, that will lead to people not coming at the levels they’re coming today,” Mr. Graham said.
Senators said they have made progress on changes to the asylum system. Many illegal immigrants abuse the system by making bogus claims, knowing they will eventually lose their cases but having been allowed to remain in the U.S. for the years it takes to render a decision, giving them a chance to burrow into communities.
But Democrats have been resistant to curtailing Mr. Biden’s “parole” powers, which the administration has used to grant entry to millions of migrants who lack a visa for admission.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas used parole powers to bring in tens of thousands of Afghans during the chaotic 2021 airlift, despite their lacking ties to the U.S.
He has also created a special parole program to allow unauthorized migrant Haitians, Cubans, Venezuelans and Nicaraguans to circumvent the border and fly into airports, and has used parole at the border to allow catch-and-release of a broader set of migrants as long as they pre-schedule their arrivals.
More than 95% of those who apply for parole are approved.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.